The National Government has warned the public to shun encroachment on riparian land, being one way through which climate change calamities can be avoided.

The call comes as trumpets for environmental conservation intensfies after heavy rains characterized by floods threatened to bring the country to a standstill in the recent past.

The worst affected were the transport and education sectors where some road connections in the country were cut off and schools delayed to reopen.

Speaking during a county tree planting evaluation committee in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Gideon Oyagi said it is high time Kenyans took matters environmental conservation seriously claiming if infringement on riparian land had earlier been avoided, the country would not have witnessed the high number of flood related deaths.

As he praised efforts to ensure increased forest cover, Oyagi urged stakeholders and the public at large to ensure that government environmental policies are fully implemented for posterity.

‘Times
and calamities have taught us to behave differently but we rarely listen. Negligence of existing laws and policies by some custodians and a section of the public has proved to be our major setback. If infringement on riparian land would have been avoided, I am sure the number of deaths we have recorded because of floods would be less,’ he said.

In Trans Nzoia County, the number of flood related deaths recorded stood at three, which occurred after River Sabwani in Kwanza Sub County broke its banks.

Oyagi praised the efforts stakeholders have put in place to ensure the County’s annual tree planting target of 11.9 million is achieved.

However, he informed that more energy should also be directed to nurturing the already planted trees adding the County has so far seen more than 3.5 million trees being planted since last year when President William Ruto launched the afforestation initiative.

Source: Kenya News Agency